Toy submarine



A. C GILBERT.

TOY SUBMARINE.

APPLICAUON FILED JULY 30. 1917.

Patented June 29, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1. /7

A. C. GILBERT;

TOY SUBMARINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30,19I7.

1,344,632. Patented June 29,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. r /0 28 M 29 wv A? [Z 'g3 2% h F y (Kw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE."

ALFRED C. GILBERT, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE A. C. GILBERT COMPANY, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OFCONNECTICUT;

TOY SUBMARI'NE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 29, 1920.

Application filed July 30, 1917. Serial No. 183.495.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED C. GILBERT, residing in New Haven, county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Submarines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to toy boats, and it has particular reference to a toy submarine propelled by a suitable motor, such as a spring motor, and capable of'moving under its own power for a considerable distance either when on the surface or when submerged.

One of the primary objects of the inven tion is to furnish an efficient toy of this generaldcharacter which can be readily manipulate Another object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of hull, keel, propelling mechanism, diving rudders, and other detail features. A

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the novel features and'combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a toy submarine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view;

Fig. 4; is a front elevation;

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section on line G6 of Fig. 2; and

Figs. 7 and8 are transverse sections on lines 77 and 88 respectively of Fig. 1.

I11 its general aspects, my improved toy submarine comprises a cigar shaped hull, having a keel for preventing rolling movement, diving rudders, preferably arranged at the forward portion of the hull, a rudder at the rear for steering in a horizontal plane, and a propeller at the rear operated by a suitable spring, or other motor, housed within the intermediate portion of the hull. On top of the hull is a block representing a deck, and on top of the deck is a block representing a conning tower, and extending, upward from the conning tower is a post representing a periscope. This post, as hereinafter described, is adapted to slide up and down and to control the firing of a missile representing a torpedo from. a socket at the bow of the hull. It will be understood, however, that various modifications in these features may be adopted without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

In constructing the hull, I prefer to employ a pair of wooden blocks 10, 11, which are round in section and tapered to form the bow and stern portions respectively of the hull; and these blocks 10, 11 are connected by a hollow, cylindrical portion 12, preferably of sheet metal, which may be readily attached at the front and rear edges of the blocks by small nails, or other suitable fastenings. The hollow, cylindrical sheet metal portion is formed by a blank, the ends of which are located at the bottom part of the hull, and one end of the blank is dis posed in the longitudinal median line of the hull and bent down to form a flange or keel 13 integral with the casing and extending throughout the length thereof, the metal being turned over at the lower edge of the keelto reinforce the same, as shown at 13". Located on top of the hull and connecting the blocks 10, 11 above the hollow, intermediate section is a block 141 representinga deck structure, which block can be conveniently attached to the blocks 10, 11 in any suitable manner. On the deck structure is another smaller block 15, representing a conning tower, and in this instance the conning tower block is located at the bow end of the deck block, and through it projects an upright post 16 representing a periscope, and having aknob 17 at the upper end. The post 16 is movable up and down in registering holes drilledin the blocks 14:, 15 for a purpose hereinafter pointed out.

The submarine is driven by a screw propeller 18 mounted on the rear end of a propeller shaft 19, which is mounted to rotate in a drill hole 20' in the lower part of the rear block 11. The forward end of shaft 20 extends into the hollow intermediate secbe rotated. The shaft 2 1 extends through the hollow section 12, and its forward end is iournaled at 26 in the rear portion of block 10, as shown in Fig. 6. The gear wheel 23 is loosely rotatable on shaft 2%, innnediately in front of block 11, and it is connected with the rear end 2? of a helical spring 28, which surrounds the shaft and extends substantially throughout the length of the casing section 12 in the central axis of the hull. At its forward end the helical spring 28 is connected to a suitable ratchet wheel 2-9 fast on the forward end portion of shaft 24% so that the forward end portion of the spring is rotated by rotation of the winding shaft, and a suitable pawl device 29 (which I have not considered it necessary to illustrate in detail inasmuch as it may be of any preferred type) is mounted on the rear face of block 10 to co-act with ratchet 29 and thereby preventing backward movement of the spring during winding, as usual in spring actuated toys. The forward end of the shaft 24; is held from displacement relatively to the block 10 by means of a bracket 30 applied to the block and having a suitable bearing for the forward end of the shaft.

The manner of driving the submarine through the water by means of the propeller 1S, actuated from the spring 28, will probably need no further description. The propeller shaft is given a rapid rotation owing to the small number of teeth on its pinion 22, as compared with the number of teeth on the intermeshing gear 23, which is ro-- tated by the spring after the latter has been wound up and released.

The submarine may be steered in a hori zontal plane by means of a rudder 31 mounted on a shaft 32 at the under portion of the rear hull block 11. The rudder 31 is preferably made of a sheet metal plate, having a portion embracing the shaft 32 and a small nut 33 on the lower end of the shaft permits the rudder to be clamped in place after it has been swung to the desired angle. The rudder shaft 32 is mounted on a small bracket 84 applied to the block 11 by screws 85, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3.

The diving rudders 36 are mounted at the lower portion of the forward block 10. They are applied to a rock shaft 37, which passes through a transverse hole in the block 10. Surrounding the rock shaft at the respective sides of the block are small sleeves 3S, and the rudders 36 are held in place between the respective sleeves 38 and adjusting ends 39, mounted on the respective outer ends of the shaft. Each of the diving rudders is preferably made of a single layer of sheet metal, having openings so located therein that it may be readily pinned on to the shaft. The small sleeves 38 are made of wood and surround the shaft 37 with a good deal of clearance, so that when the nuts o9 are loosened the shaft with the rudders thereon may be readily turned to set the rudders at the desired angle, after which the nuts 39 are tightened so as to press the inner edges of the rudders against the sleeves and clamp the sleeves and rudders firmly in the desired angular position.

At the forward end of block 10, the same is formed to present a tubular portion or socket 410, adapted to contain a small pointed missile 41 imulating a torpedo, which may be readily made of wood or the like. In the rear portion of the socket 10, an expelling spring 12 for the torpedo is contained. At the rear of the torpedo, the same is provided with an annular groove 43 co acting with a movable detent 41 1 of spring wire, adapted to be operated by the periscope post 16, which for this purpose has an enlargement 16 011 the lower end thereof in a socket of block 14, adapted to contact with the upper portion of the detent wire, which is also contained in a socket of block 14. lVhen the torpedo is pressed into the socket, the spring is compressed and the torpedo is locked by the detent 1 1, the lower end of which falls by gravity into theannular groove 18. hen it is desired to fire the torpedo, the periscope post is depressed, thereby depressing the lower end of the detent wire and raising its forward end out of thegroove to liberate the missile, which is then projected in a forward direction by spring 1-2.

The exterior metal portions of the device are covered with a suitable paint to prevent rusting, and as the spring mechanism contained within the hull will become wet when the toy is used, it should be well oiled so that in this caseialso therewill be no rusting of metallic parts.

Various changes may be made in the details of the construction without departing from the scope of the invention.

that I claim is: v

l. A toy submarine, having bow and stern blocks, a separate hollow section intermediate said blocks, a motor mounted in said hollow section, and a propeller operatively connected with said motor.

2. A toy submarine, comprising front and rear solid blocks shaped to form bow and stern portions, and an intermediate hollow metal section. V I

3. A toy submarine, comprising front and rear solid blocks shaped to form bow and stern portions, and an intermediate hollow metal section, having an integral, bent up keel.

1. A toy such as described, comprising bow and stern blocks, a deck block, a motor mounted between the bow and stern blocks beneath the deck block, and a propeller operated by said motor.

5. A toy submarine, having a torpedo ejecting spring mounted in said socket, a projecting device, and a member for condetent for retaining a torpedo within said trolling said device simulating a periscope. socket against the tension of the ejecting 6. A toy submarine, having solid bow and spring, and means slidably mounted in said 5 stern sections, a separate hollow section insubmarine and operated from the exterior 15 termediate said sections, a motor mounted thereof for disengaging said detent from in said hollow section, and a propeller opthe torpedo. eratively connected with said motor. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set 7. A toy submarine, having a torpedomy hand on the 27th day of July, 1917.

10 receiving socket formed therein, a torpedo ALFRED C. GILBERT. 

